PRO FOOTBALL;Strahan Seems to Be Poised To Reject Offer by Giants

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Contract negotiations between the Giants and defensive end Michael Strahan continued this week with the Giants making a substantial offer that, if accepted, would lock up Strahan into the next century.

More important, the pact would keep Strahan, one of the Giants' best young players, from becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and thus keep him off the market.

The problem is that Strahan, who had a team-high seven and a half sacks last season, has either already rejected the offer or is almost certain to turn it down. The Giants gave Strahan until July 18 -- the beginning of training camp -- to make a decision.

If Strahan does reject the offer, then talks between the two sides will likely cease this week and probably will not continue until after the season.

According to several people close to the negotiations, the Giants have offered Strahan a five-year deal worth about $10 million. The deal includes a $2 million signing bonus. Currently, Strahan has a one-year deal worth $785,000.

And since it bothers some of the coaches that Strahan is not a regular at the off-season workout program -- though he never reports to camp out of shape -- the contract includes a $25,000 workout clause.

Strahan would get the money if he worked out with the team in the off season at least 80 percent of the time.

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"They made a significant offer and we're going to analyze it," said Tony Agnone, the agent for Strahan. "That's all I'm going to say for now."

Giants General Manager George Young had no comment.

The Giants are busy on other fronts, too, having intensified talks with all of their draft picks. It seems the only one who could miss substantial training camp time is the first-round pick Cedric Jones.

Other than Jones, the Giants will probably have a rash of signings in the next several days. They began yesterday by signing their seventh-round choice, the former Eastern New Mexico defensive back Conrad Hamilton, to a three-year deal.

Hamilton received a $40,000 signing bonus, with salaries of $131,000, $164,000 and $196,000.

Negotiations with their second-round pick, wide receiver Amani Toomer from the University of Michigan, may end this week.

The agent for Toomer, Leigh Steinberg, wants a three-year deal while the Giants want a four-year deal.

EXTRA POINTS

The former Giants linebacker MIKE CROEL may sign with the Baltimore Ravens sometime in the next several days.

A version of this article appears in print on July 17, 1996, on Page B00014 of the National edition with the headline: PRO FOOTBALL;Strahan Seems to Be Poised To Reject Offer by Giants. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe